Md. man pleads guilty to murder on eve of scheduled trial

October 21, 2013

MARTINSBURG -A Maryland man accused of taking part in a home invasion robbery that resulted in the death of his mother and left his stepfather wounded pleaded guilty today to charges of felony murder, first-degree robbery, attempted first-degree murder and malicious assault.

Joshua L. Stitley, 35, of Hancock, entered the guilty pleas after accepting a plea offer a day before his trial in Berkeley County Circuit Court was scheduled to begin.

Stitley and a co-defendant, Roy L. Wisotzkey, 35, of Hagerstown, Md., were charged in connection with the May 26, 2011, death of Vickie Clem, 57, who was stabbed and beaten to death inside her Falling Waters home.

Stitley's stepfather, Jack Clem, was struck with baseball bat and was stabbed in the groin, but survived the attack.

As part of the plea agreement Stitley accepted, the remaining counts of an indictment he was charged in have been dismissed. In exchange for Stitley's guilty pleas, prosecutors have agreed to recommend that he be sentenced to life in prison with mercy -meaning he could be eligible, but is not entitled to parole -for his conviction for felony murder There are no sentencing recommendations for Stitley's remaining convictions. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison for his conviction for felony murder; no less than 10 years in prison for the first-degree robbery conviction; three to 15 years in prison for the attempted first-degree murder conviction; and two to 10 years in prison for the malicious assault conviction.

Stitley's co-defendant, Wisotzkey, was found guilty of felony murder, first-degree robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery and burglary following a jury trial in August. He is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 4.